September Message from President Sandy

 Holy Crow has it really been April since the last message from me??

Welcome Back!!!

As summer winds down, we are all gearing up for a new amazing year of JFW.  Over the spring and summer, we have been preparing for what feels like the first “real “ start in a couple of years.   As our clubs and regions prepare for the year ahead, the board, committees, executive and administration of AJ have been refining behind the scenes support to help you.   

The membership team has been working diligently to refine and clarify the registration process.   It is a grand undertaking to make sure that all of our members (new and returning) are vetted and registered in the database by our chartering deadlines.  We owe a huge thank you to this team; club registrars, regional registrars, Vicky Hill, our the AJ Membership Director and her assistants.  Please do your part getting forms and VSpics in.  Some of the process and deadlines have changed, so please make sure you are following this year’s information.  If ever in doubt please ask.  

We have also increased our administrative support.  This means great things for all of us!  Our office administrator, Eva Melo is fast learning all things JFW and comes to us with great ideas from her vast experience from other organizations.   If she doesn’t have the answer she knows who to connect you with.   And I am more than happy to get your feedback, ideas and energy. 

The executive and board have continued to meet over the summer following up on member suggestions, making connections with other like minded organizations, exploring options on policies, funding, insurance and keeping us generally on track.   - Oh and providing a few amazing provincial events through the work of the PT Cruisers (North and South)  and Outreach Committees. Thank you organizers!!

This year we are looking forward to renewed energy for all of our parent volunteers.   Some of us may feel like bursting out of the gates, some of us may take a little time to get into full swing.  Be kind to each other, ask for help and contribute what you can.  The best infusion of energy I know of is to connect with each other and have fun creating some amazing experiences for our wardens.  And - 

It's a National Camp Year!!!  For many JFW families, National Camp is a highlight of their experiences in Junior Forest Wardens.   You don’t want to miss out!   Stay tuned for more on National Camp in the coming months. - Watch for the NC emails, plan for  involvement with your club, connect with JFW families from across the country.  

Have a great start all!!  Now go finish your registration.  

Sandy

April Message from President Sandy Evans

 

Okay - everyone stretch, yawn and look at the amazing spring ahead of us! It is exciting to see our JFW activities ramping up! While we continue to be vigilant with COVID precautions, it is encouraging to see clubs and regions finding safe ways to gather, play and learn. AJ too has been working on coming back to our amazing programming. Event teams and committees across the province have been working on PT Cruisers, AC Graduation and Summer Outreach. And, the promise of National Camp 2023 -- next year!!! Just like trees in my yard, we are starting to bud out.

Much has happened this past year with AJ. AGM planning is well underway. Notice was sent to members via last month's Tree Mail. Please continue to remind your fellow members that this meeting is online and requires registration by April 27, 2022.

Amazing People Changes:

As of the AGM, our interim positions will change. Debra Wathen will be stepping down from her role as interim Secretary. The Board will be appointing a new interim Secretary for the 2022/23 year. Brett Schonekess will be stepping down as interim Treasurer as the position of Treasurer will be up for vote at the AGM this year. We owe Brett and Debra a very big thank you for their commitment to getting us through this past year! They both not only fulfilled the status quo in their roles, but made significant contributions to our Executive team, all the while juggling their already busy commitments in other aspects of JFW.

Vicky Hill has moved into her new role as Membership Director, and will be stepping down as Vice President at the AGM. This means we will be electing two Executive positions at the AGM: Treasurer and Vice President. According to our Bylaws, past and current Board members are eligible for nomination. If there are no nominations, then at the AGM we will be calling for members from the floor. Please consider stepping forward, and/or talking with fellow members who fit the skill set for these positions.

We are also seeing a change in our Administrator this April. Jennifer Howitt has been the stable face and contact of AJFWA through these crazy COVID years. She has been the go-to for all manner of resources for prospective members, clubs, the Board and for the Executive. It is hard to imagine JFW let alone the office running without her! She will continue to be a committed part of JFW with plans to get involved in some of our committees, and of course to join in upcoming events. We will be announcing our new administrative officer very soon and are excited to welcome them.

It all happens at the AGM. We will be gathering online again this year for the AGM. Come find out the details of what we have been up to behind the scenes and help make JFW stronger going into this new year. Once again -- because we are online, attendees must register ahead of time. Register for the AGM and Special GM before April 27, 2022. See you there!

Sandy

2022 Jumping Pound Volunteer of the Year

On November 13, 2021 the 12th annual presentation of the Jumping Pound Camp Volunteer of the Year award was made at a gathering held at JFW's Jumping Pound Camp near Calgary to Steven Weimer of the Calgary Sarcee Club.

This award is presented to the person deemed most deserving of it, as agreed by previous award recipients.  It has traditionally been given to a member who has made a substantial contribution to the construction, maintenance and other physical development of the site.  

Steven has been a strong supporter of the Camp for many years both as a member of the Calgary Sarcee Club as well as through his contributions as a valuable member of the recently formed AJFWA Jumping Pound Camp Committee.  While his physical contributions to the site have been most appreciated, Steven has been a key contributor in other aspects of the well-being of the Camp, particularly his diplomatic approach to sticky issues. 

Congratulations to Steven and thank you for your dedicated support of Jumping Pound.

To learn more about the award, visit our Members Only Site or click here.

2022 Tree Bagging at the Muttart Conservatory Greenhouse

Arbor Day seedling bagging is around the corner!   JFW has a long history supporting this event hosted by Root for Trees, Edmonton's volunteer tree planting initiative.

Date:  Sunday, May 1 2021

Time:  12:30 p.m.

Activity:  Bagging 10-15,000 seedlings for Grade 1 students

Location:  Muttart Conservatory Greenhouse - West Parking Lot (map pin), Edmonton, Alberta

Attire:  Prepare to work either outside or inside.  The event may be held outdoors or move indoors depending on COVID restrictions.  

Directions:  Travelling westbound on 98 Avenue NW towards the Muttart Greenhouses, turn left after passing the LRT station on the left-hand-side (green arrow below). Follow the large blue "Muttart Delivery Signs" as pictured below. 

    

Parking: is available along either side of the service road west of the Muttart Greenhouse (see highlighted area below). 

 

Update:

Submitted by Terry Garrett, Chief Warden Emeritus of Alberta
On behalf of Root for Trees, the City of Edmonton and myself, I want to thank everyone who came out for the Tree Bagging event at the Muttart Conservatory on Sunday, May 1st.  In about 2 hours the 55+ people in attendance bagged about 12,000 trees for the Grade 1 students.  Many hands make light work of a big project.  Thank you so much for your help with this project.  You are awesome!!

2022 Alumni Summer Family Camp

 

Click here for PDF of camp information and registration 

Spring Message from President Sandy Evans

 Come on Spring!!!

We are nearly to those great moments when the stored energy and rest attached to winter begins to flourish into new growth, reaching out branches to new realms, and easing the webs of support and connection that sustain our world.  Spring brings momentum to start something new and fire up the old.  This year in the JFW world, spring will be a little restrained as we work out the remaining respect we need to give to Covid.  The good news is that we will have some things moving forward and some things will just be very well planned for next year.   Outreach, PT North and PT South are a go. AC graduation will be online.  AC conference and National camp will have to wait until next year - oh how amazing they will be then!!!   

For me the coming of Spring is marked by Winter Outreach.  It was wonderful to see A/Cs and adults returning in person to a provincial JFW adventure.  The pent up energy held in our roots for the past two years truly carried me up (and down) a few hills this weekend.   On Outreach wardens and adults work together to support each other as they take on more challenging adventures.  It is like a microcosm of what happens throughout all aspects of JFW.  As we open up our programming again, getting to hang out with some of our older wardens and some very dedicated parents has infused hope and momentum - Not to mention a great deal of gratitude to those that helped me up from a faceplant mere cms from a pile of porcupine poop.  

It takes a great deal of planning and forethought to make these great events happen.  Much of this work happens in the trunk of our JFW tree (in the event and executive committees and the board) and is really only apparent when the springlike burst of province wide events takes place.  Event planning is only one important aspect of the work of the AJ Board.  The work of the board is also about building and maintaining the roots, trunk and branch systems that give clubs and regions what they need to run amazing programs.   As a board and executive we have been working to make sure our members are well vetted, insured and informed.  We are focusing on the way ahead, documenting what works well (and what doesn’t) in our policies and procedures, creating systems to make the job of organizers at all levels a little easier, and yes, setting the necessary parameters to keep our wardens and our organization safe for many adventures to come.

Our AGM is coming very soon.  We have a few positions to fill for the coming year - committees, board directors and executive officers, and a new administrator.  This year the executive positions to be filled at the AGM are Treasurer and Vice President.   To be eligible for these positions, you will need to have had some council experience in JFW (club, region or AJ board).  

Please consider stepping forward.  While not as fun as falling into porcupine poop, it is a great and rewarding way to support the organization.  

I am looking forward to reconnecting, working and playing with you all!  

Sandy

December Message from President Sandy Evans

On behalf of all of your Board, I want to wish you all the very best of the winter season.  I  hope that  you  are all able to embrace and enjoy this amazing time.   With the cold and longer nights we, like most of our natural world, create our own resilience by gathering together, being kind, working together and adapting to the conditions outside our doors.  Winter is very much a time to take time - to reflect, to prepare before going out, to create cozy spaces to return to, to rest (for some even hibernate), to rejuvenate, and to enjoy each others’ stories and wisdoms.  

One of my favourite  sayings in JFW (likely from Mors Kohanski) is that “there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing choices”.  With colder weather and unpredictable conditions, including covid, we need to be especially vigilant that we are providing activities for our wardens that are safe and respectful (of nature and each other).    We  don’t need to  hibernate, but we do need to make good preparation and choices when we head out and when we  gather.  What a great thing to teach our children. 

For the Board, the scurry of Fall work is nearly complete.  We are working through the last of the registrations and are  just waiting for results on a few vulnerable sector checks.  We very much appreciate the diligence of those making sure all of our adult members, as volunteers who connect with wardens, are all vetted.  Thank you for your patience and good communication  with this task.  It has certainly been a different year with many delays beyond our control, and a lot of learning for those of us in new roles.  

We have some new directors including a recent graduate, and a new Secretary!  I would like to thank you all for stepping forward to represent the members in your regions to guide JFW into the year ahead.  And a special thank you and welcome to Debra Wathen, our new secretary, who is stepping into a significant role within the first few years with us.  This is possible with the support of two of our past secretaries generously sharing their experience.  The depth of experience in our membership is really strong.  At all levels from activity and group leaders, club exec, regional councils to the board, we need to foster new leaders, share our stories and experience so that we can continue the incredible knowledge we have built over the past 90 plus years.   

Happy Holidays and Winter celebrations to you all!

Sandy

AJFWA President